Step-ladder.



A. N. FAULKNER.

STEP LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, 1914.

1,126,625. Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

"HE NORRIS PETERS c0.. PHDTO-LITHO. WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT N. FAULKNER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 CHESEBRO WHITMAN CO., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

STEP-LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

Application filed May 13, 1914. Serial No. 838,332.

I '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT N. FAULKNER, a subject of the King of England, and resident of New York city, borough of Manhattan, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Step-Ladders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to step-ladders, and has for its object to provide an improved ladder which may be readily manufactured, and when manufactured is of solid construction and eflicient in use, and particularly strong and safe in respect to the topboard of the ladder.

One embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing and will be more fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side-view of the upper portion of a ladder containing the improvements, Fig. 2 is a rear-view of the parts shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a vertical central section through the upper portion of the ladder, Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line 44 of Fig. 3, on a larger scale, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the fastening members and hinges.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the different figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the side members 10 support between them the steps 11 and at their top the top-board 12. The members 10 are also bound together by a brace-board 14, which connects the members 10 at their vertical rear-edges near the top of the ladder and immediately below the top-board 12. The stays or legs 13 are secured together by means of cross-bars 15. These parts are well known and resemble closely the similar parts in general use.

In the use of such parts, however. it has been found that the top-board 12 gradually becomes warped and weakened, and in the further use thereof the board is likely to break and persons using the ladder are injured. In order to prevent this, the members 10, top-board 12, and stays 13 are suitably bound together by the improved looking member and hinge-connection shown in perspective in Fig. 5, which forms the subject-matter of my improvement, by the use of which a very efficient and safe step-ladder results.

Referring to Fig. 5, it is seen that the structure therein shown comprises an angular member having a leg 20 with openings 21 to permit it to be screwed to the inner sides of the members 10. Said leg 20 is upwardly curved so as to pass the front of the top-board, and is provided at its upper end with a downturned hook 17 adapted to engage the top-board, at the front-portion thereof, and thereby prevent such frontportion from rising under the strains of use or when the board has a tendency to warp. The brace has also a leg 23 provided with openings 24 to permit the same to be secured to the inclined brace-board 14, and an extension or third leg 27 from said leg 23 which is provided with openings 28 to permit it to be secured to the underside of the top-board 12. The inclination of the legs 20, 23 and 27 is such that the surfaces of these legs hug snugly the surfaces of the members 10, the member 14 and the topboard 12, so that these parts are in secure connection through the legs of the angular member.

At the angular connection of the legs 20 and 23 an enlarged seat 29 is provided, which is adapted to engage with the lowermost side 30 of the inclined brace-board 14. Below this seat 29 a downward extension 32 is provided with a flattened part which is bent over in such manner as to provide a hinge-sleeve 34. The hinge-sleeve embraces the pintle member 35 of a. plate 36, which is provided with the openings 37 by means of which, and with the aid of suitable screws 39, the said member 36 is securely fixed to the stays 13. The plate 36 is provided at its upper part with extensions 40 which are bent to angular position so as to conform to the angular cross-section of the stays, the outer ends 41 of these extensions 40 embracing snugly the inner sides of the stays. The plate 36 is provided with further extensions 43, which are also bent to engage the sides of the stays 13. The plate 36 is further provided with a central opening 44 in order to lighten the structure, as sufficient strength is obtained by the part remaining after a portion has been out out. The pintle member 35 is formed by cutting a portion 4'5 out of the plate 36', whereby the remaining material, indicated by 35, acts as a pintle to the hinge-sleeve 34c.

The leg 20 is secured to the side members 10 by means of suitable screws 46 passing through the openings 21, while the leg secured to the inclined member it by means of screws 4-7 passing through the openings 21, and the upper leg 27 is secured to the top-board 12 by means of screws 18 pass ing through the openings 28. I

A fastening device is used for fastening the steps to the side'members, said device consisting of a T-shaped member having a head 60, as shown in Fig. 1, the leg '61 of the T passing through the side member 10 and along the underside of the step 11, as is shown clearly in Fig. 2'; The ends of the T are provided with pron-gs 62, and the inner end of the leg 61 is provided with a prong 63, which prongs enter the side member and the step respectively. An opening 64c is provided in the leg 61. I

An additional safety supportingvdevice is provided in the form of a short metallic stay 70 which has its lower'end 71 bent to snugly conform to the wall of the side member and screwed thereto, while the upper end 72 of this stay is bent to conform to the horizontal position of the leg 61, and bears against the same, and has an upwardly-projecting prong 65 which passesthrough the opening 6st of the leg 61 and through the step, and has its upper end bent over into the top-surface of the step. These bent-over ends are indicated byv 66. The brace 70 is made of a fiat piece of metal, and in order to obtain the greatest strength and economy of material, the prong 65 projects out of one edge of the strip, while at its other end71 the strip lies fiat against theside'member 10. To obtain this difi'erent' method of connection at either end, the strip is twistedin its length. as shown at68 in Fig. 3, whereby the lower end lies flat against the upright side member 10, and the upper end presentsan edge, with the vertical prong thereon extending through the step. II I I I I II By the improvements described, it will be seen that a step ladderis producedwhich is very safe in its use in that the improved connecting parts, namely, at the point where the side members, top-board and stays are interconnected, are securely arranged in a manner to prevent any breaking down of any of theparts. At the same time the parts are so combined that the WaI-ping of the top bo'a'rd is prevented, or any weakening thereof, and it will also be noted that by reason of the peculiarity of the angular shape ofthe legs 20, 2-3and27, the full support of the user is taken upby this triangle or. truss, the .fqr e" being. i t i ut dalong, th me bersnf th r l.;jand the i .v. y t tli stays and side members. This is accomplishedby having the legs of my improved fastening member extend along the topboards, as also the sidemembers, and co: operating with the fastening devices on the side members.

In order to give a specially secure hold, the stays have the cross member 15 bound thereto inthe usual manner with the screws 80, and in addition thereto have a strap of semicircularshape passing over the cross member 15 and secured thereto by screws 81, which semicircular member 82 has its ends bent downwardly, as at 89, from the surface of the cross-piece 15 h the surfaces of the stays 18. and secured by screws 88 to the stays. The cross-member 15 is'mortised to the stays, as shown at 86, 8.7. v

I have shown one embodiment of my invention, but changes maybe made therein without departing from the spirit of the inventien as defined in the appended claims.

Iclaiin: v I I 1. improved step-ladder, comprising side members, a top-board and stays, and

fastening members, each comprising a first leg extending the width or the side members, and having a hook engaging the front-portion of the top-board, and another leg extending along the top-board and provided with an eye at the meeting ofthe legs, said eye being close to saidside members and a pintle on the stays engaging the hinge-connection of the legs, said first leg'extendi'ng substantially directly from said eye to sai e oa 1 i 2. An improved stepfladder, comprising side members, a top-board, an inclined brace'fboard, stays, (and fastening members; each fastening member having a leg extending the width of the side members, and having a hook engaging the front-portion of the top-board, another leg extending upwardlyacross the brace-board, and a third leg extending from the brace-board to the rear-edgeof the top-board, an eye at the meeting point of the first and second legs, a plate at theend of eachstay providedwith a intlecqeperating with the eye of thele'gs, and fastening means on the plate securing ittoth'e'sta'ys. II I I III In a, step-ladder, an improved fastening means comprising a metallic strip having a mainportion of like length with the width of the side member of the laddIer to which it is to be'atta'jched, and with openings therein for attachment to said side member, and having a rearwardly-proje'cting end forming I an eye, and a forwardly-projecting upwardly-curved portion adapted to extend at the front of the topsbo'ard of the ladder, and., having at its extremity a downturned hook adaptedto engage the front-portion of saidltop-board.. A 1 L J du pjd fir comprising Side-members, a top board, and stays, and

an eye adapted to be connected with a pintie attached to said stays.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT N. FAULKNER.

Witnesses:

F. Hoes, J 0s. BISBAND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O. 

